Safety device for self-propelled vehicles.



r IIIIIA M. A. HOLZMAN. SAFETY DEVICE FOR SELF PROPELLED VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2, 1912.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

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MORRIS A. HOLZMAN,

lliFFTQlfl.

or NEW YORK, n. Y.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLES.

Application filed August 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Morris A. HQLZMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1632 Amsterdam avenue, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Self- Propelled Vehicles of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to safety devices for self propelled vehicles and the primary object is to provide means which will be operated by an obstruction in the path of the vehicle, thereby steering the vehicle away from the obstruction and thus avoiding the accident that would otherwise occur.

My invention considered broadly C0111- prises a guard which extends in advance of the vehicle and which is connected to the steering mechanism so that when any obstructions appear in the road, the guard will be struck first and will be turned to one side, thereby instantly o aerating the steering gear to turn the vehicle away fro-m the obstacle to a place of safety.

The various other objects of the invention will be more fully set forth in the following description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention which consists in the new and novel features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention and a fragmental plan View of the running gear of an automobile with which it is used. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1 partly in section, and Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view through the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

My invention may be used with any type of vehicle, it only being necessary that it be changed in such minor details as will accommodate it to the particular type de sired. In the present instance a fragmental front part of a running gear and steering mechanism of usual construction is shown, comprising the longitudinal supports 1, the springs 2, the front axle 3, and the wheels 4.

The steering gear is of usual construction and comprises arms 5 and 5 secured to the knuckles G on which the front wheels turn, and are connected together by a bar 7. An other arm 8 is secured with one of the arms, as the arm 5, and is pivotally connected to a rod 9. This rod is pivotally secured to an arm 10, which is secured on the shaft 11 Specification of Letters Patent.

Yatented Apr. 28, 191st.

1912. Serial No. 712,885.

mounted in the bracket 12, secured to the frame of the vehicle. An inclined steering post 13 passes through the bracket 12 and has a worm 1 1 mounted upon it. The worm is in mesh with a segmental gear 15 secured on the shaft 11. An operating wheel 16 is secured on the upper end of the steering post 13.

The safety device comprising my invention includes a guard 17, which is preferably formed in the arc of a circle, but other suitable shapes may be given it. Spokes 18 are secured at their outer ends to the guard and have their inner ends fixed in sockets 19 formed on a circular band 20. A disk plate 21 is secured to the shaft 3 by means of the clamps 22, and has a. vertical post 23 extending from it on which is mounted a hub The hub has a flange 25 projecting from its lower edge, which serves to support the band 20. The hub has a plurality of sockets 26 formed in its periphery; and an equal number of screws 27 are tapped through the band 20. Springs 28 are arranged with their outer ends passed over the ends of the screws 27 and their inner end seated in the sockets 26. A segmental gear 29 is secured to the hub 2 1 as by means of a pin 30. It has a peripheral flange 31 extended to overlap the band 20. The band is thus confined between the two flanges 25 and 31, but is free to rotate independent of them.

A rack bar 32 is slidably mounted in guide-ways 33 preferably formed on the clamps 22 and is in mesh with the segmental gear 29. A beveled gear 34: is secured on the end of the steering rod 13 and is in mesh with a egmental beveled gear 35, which is rotatably secured to a bracket 36. A bifurcated lug 37 is formed on the segmental gear 35 to extend rearwardly thereof, and a link 38 is pivotally secured at one end between the bifurcations and at the other end to the rack 32.

The operation of the device is as follows :When the vehicle is headed toward an obstruction such for instance as a telegraph pole represented diagrammatically by the dotted lines 39, the guard 17 being the most advanced point of the vehicle and of sufficient width to include both wheels, is the first to be struck by the pole. The impact operates to turn the guard in a direction toward the pole as the vehicle advances. The spring connections 28 serve to take up whatever shock there may be and to proride a yielding connection between the hand 20 and the hub El, so that the hill) will revolve with the turning of the guard 17, This will operate to turn the segmental gear 52!) there n; nuning the rac 32. This swings the segmental gear thereby turning th gear ll with it. By this means the post 13 is turned, thereby operating the steering gear in the usual way. The connections a re such lat the wheels Tl; will be turned to carr; 1e vehicle away 'lroln the obstruction and the relative sizes of the connecting gears are de' gned to cause a small displacement o! the guard l? to produce the required degrree o'li turning; of the wheels to safely steer the vehicle tree of the ohstruction. i'l'lter this done the driver iinniediatel turns the handle lo and directs the vehicle on its intended cours-ic. When the obstruction is easily nim'ahle as for instance when a person is struck h the gljuard 1?, he is carried with, the turning guard out of the path of the which: at the some time that the Vehicle wheels are steered in the :nnposite direction.

may be mounted on the iost 2?) tree tron) ronnmtion with any steeriin gear, as for in stance when used with electric tars which run on a lraclc and wherein a steering; gear is unnecessary. in such cases a person standing; in front ot a niovin j car will he struck h the gz guarl l l7, and as it turns will :arrv him to one side out of danger. guard when thus used is made sulliciently wide to carry the person struck l'eyond the tracks.

Although I hare shown only one form of mechanism en'ihodyino ny invention, it is ohvious that "various ehann s within the skill.

an" the mechanic may he made therein without departing 'lrorn the spirit ot the inven- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Washin ll and its aeconipanying parts tion, provided the means set forth in the following claims are employed.

llaving thus described my invention, 1 claim 2* 1. in a safety de ice for sell. propelling vehicles, a guard comprising a bar extending entirely across the Front of the vehicle having converging spokes rigidly secured thereto a mount for the guard at the converging ends of the spokes and positioned midway between the front wheels of the vehicle to confine the l to a rotary inoi'cinent about a fixed axis at the converging ends of the xpol-ies simultaneous with its eneonnterhrg n ohstrueti ard means oporahly connecting the sum at its axis of rotation with the steeringmechanism of the Vehicle for turning the Yehicle away from the obstruction when the obstruction and guard meet.

2. in a safety device or SClli propelled rehicles a guard conrrn'isingg' a bar extei'iding entir across; the front of the vehicle haw ing converging spokes rigidly scci'n'ed there to, a mount for the gua 'd at the converging: ends of the spokes and positioned n'lidway i out wheels ot the vehicle to rotary nlovcnieit ahout encounterbetween tilt confine the h a fixed in 's sh l'taneinis with its ing an ohstr iction and yielding n1 ans operahly connecting the guard at its axis of rotation with the steering mechanism of the vehicle for turning the vehicle away fflOlll the obstruction when the obstruction and har r to a meet.

This specification signed l nil witnessed this 1stday of Aug, A. D, 1912,

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Patents, gcon, 13. C. 

